Santana on the rise again after 2-hit shutout

Ervin Santana (↑ UP)

Santana reclaimed his spot atop the American League on Tuesday night, dropping his ERA to 1.80 after shutting out the Baltimore Orioles. The Twins’ ace pitched a complete game, allowing just two hits and moving to 7-2 on the season in 10 starts. Opposing batters are averaging just .134 against Santana this season.

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Kyle Gibson (↓ DOWN)

Gibson picked up his first win of the season after the Twins hung 21 hits and 14 runs on the Orioles, but his struggles continued in his return to the majors. He allowed six runs on seven hits and four walks in just five innings of work, and could find himself back in Triple-A soon.

USA TODAY SportsBrad Rempel

Joe Mauer (↑ UP)

After a slow start to the season Joe has looked an awful lot like the Mauer of old in May. He’s hitting .322/.420/.492 this month with four doubles and two home runs, and had three hits in the Twins’ big win over the Orioles on Monday. Mauer’s batting average has risen from .225 at the end of April to .266 in just under a month.

USA TODAY SportsKim Klement

Gophers softball (↓ DOWN)

The Gophers were eliminated from the NCAA tournament by regional host Alabama following a pair of 1-0 losses in Tuscaloosa. The No. 1-ranked team in the nation per the pre-tournament coaches’ poll, the Gophers were inexplicably left unseeded by the selection committee despite winning the Big Ten. They finish the season 56-6, the best record in program history.

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Max Kepler (↑ UP)

Kepler has been on fire over the last week, and is nursing a six-game hit streak after smacking a double in the Twins’ win over the Orioles on Tuesday. He’s hitting .357/.438/.714 with a 1.152 OPS over that span, and has 10 hits, four doubles and two home runs in his last seven games.

P.J. Fleck (↓ DOWN)

After de-committing from Minnesota, 4-star offensive tackle Jalen Mayfield has committed to Michigan. That’d normally be in the end of it, but Mayfield went that weird extra mile. He created a short film announcing his decision that features the Grand Rapids native gunning down folks representing the schools he rejected with a paintball gun, before declaring his loyalty to the Wolverines. It’s… something. I guess Mayfield isn’t into boats?